Plate-holder attachment for cameras.



No. 771,282. PATENTED 0011 4, 1904.

J. A. SMITH. PLATE HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR CAMERAS.

APPLIGATION FILED DEG. 28, 1903.

NO MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED OUT. 4, 1904:-

J. A. SMITH. PLATE HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR CAMERAS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.28, 1903.

NO MODEL.

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PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904.

J. A. SMITH.

PLATE HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR CAMERAS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1903.

3 SHBETSSHEET 3.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented October 4, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PLATE-HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR CAMERAS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,282, dated October 4, 1904. Application filed December 28,1903. Serial No. 186,872. (No model.)

To (LZZ 1072,0772 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAY ALBERT SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented a new, useful, and Improved Plate-Holder Attachment for Cameras, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding reference-numerals in the different figures indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to so construct a plate-holder attachment for cameras that the act of sliding the plate-holder into a locking position within the supporting-frame may serve to detachably connect the curtainslide thereof with a suitable mechanism whereby as a result of a single continuous movement in one direction the ground glass may be removed, the plate-holder placed in position to expose the whole or any predetermined portion thereof, and the curtain withdrawn, while by a continuous reverse movement the curtain-slide may be closed and the ground glass again moved into position before the exposing-aperture.

I accomplish said object by means of a slidable carrier for the reception of the ground glass and plate-holder and an actuating-frame, together with means for automatically locking the former to the stationary frame or camera-back and for locking the actuatingframe to the carrier-frame at all times except during the act of manipulating the curtainslide, all of which is hereinafter more particularly described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a plate-holding attachment as it would appear when the parts are in their respective normal positions with the plate-holder in place ready to be manipulated. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the plate-holder in position for exposure with the slide closed. Fig. 3 is a like view as it would appear with the slide open. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the attachment with the parts in their respective normal positions. Fig. v5 is a sectional view in plan, taken upon the line 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a like View taken upon the line 6, Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a like view taken upon the line 7, Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a right-hand end elevation, partly in section, taken upon the line 8, Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown, a small portion of said view being broken and sectioned to show one feature of the locking mechanism. Fig. 9 is an enlarged rear view in detail of the spring-catch, and Fig. 10 is a plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the removable backboard of a camera provided with the usual exposure-aperture 2, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, said board being constructed in the ordinary way except that its length is considerably greater than the width of the frame to which it is attached. Rigidly secured to the back of said board are horizontal parallel slideways 3 3, Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, which are preferably formed from metal tubes rectangular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 8, and having longitudinal slots therein for the reception of metal flanges 4 4, Fig. 8, attached to and extending beyond the upper and lower edges, respectively, of a slidable carrier-frame, (designated generally by 5.) Said flanges are adapted to bear upon balls placed within said tubes in any well-known way to prevent friction. Said carrier-frame is provided with a central vertical crossbar 6, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, midway between the two vertical end pieces 7, thereby forming rectangular openings in said frame adapted to register, respectively, with the exposure-opening in the back, as hereinafter described. Forming a part of said slidable frame 5 and either attached thereto or formed integral therewith is a groundglass frame 8. The upper and lower horizontal bars 9 9, Fig. 8, of the frame5 are extended rearwardly and are provided with inturned flanges 10 10 in the manner more clearly shown in Fig. 8, thereby forming a slideway for the reception of the plate-holder 11, the left-hand end of which abuts against the end of the ground-glass frame, as more clearly shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, while the other end is held by means of a rabbet 12 in the manner hereinafter described. Said plateholder is of the usual construction used in portrait-cameras and is provided with a curtain-slide 13, arranged in the customary way.

It will be observed that the ground-glass frame registers with one and the plate-holder with the other of the openings in the slidable carrier-frame, while both are adapted to be moved with said carrier.

A supplemental sliding frame, which I prefer to designate as the actuating-frame, is mounted upon said slidable carrier-frame in the following manner: Angle-bars 14 14, preferably of metal, are fitted upon the upper and lower edges of the parts 10, grooves 15, Figs. 4 and 8, being formed in the latter for the reception of one flange of said angle-bars. Vertical cross-bars 16 17 are rigidly connected with the slide-bars 14, and to the latter is attached a handle 18 and also a laterally-projecting spring 19, having a perforation 20 therein adapted to receive and engage a pin 21 upon the bar forming the outer end of the curtain-slide 13 when the plate-holder 11 is placed within the carrier-frame. Said spring serves not only to engage said pin as described, but also to press the plate-holder against said frame, said rabbe't or stop 12 upon the edge of the carrier-frame serving to prevent the holder from being displaced. A similar rabbet or stop 23 serves to limit the movement to the right hand of the carrierframe.

Attached to the backboard 1 above the carrier-frame and parallel therewith is a cleat 24, Figs. 4 and 8, to the outer edge of which is attached a metal plate 25, which projects below said cleat and is provided with notches 26, 27, 28, and 29, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 8, and 9, upon its lower edge for the purpose hereinafter stated.

A spring-catch (generally designated by is mounted upon the top of the upper part or cleat 9 of the carrier frame and consists, preferably, of a primary metal plate 31 (see Figs. 8, 9, and 10) screwed to the part 9, while a plate 32 is hinged thereto, as shown. An upwardly-extended detent 33 is formed upon the plate 32 and adapted to engage with the notches in the plate 25. A spring 34, Figs. 8 and 9, tends to throw said detent into engagement with one or another of said notches.

A thumb-piece 35 is mounted upon the bar 17 immediately above the handle 18, said thumb-piece consisting of a flat metal plate,

which is slidabl y attached to said bar by means of headed screws 36, which are loosely projected through a vertical slot 37, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the arrangement being such as to permit the thumb-piece to be moved up and down. The upper end of the part 35 is bent, as shown at 38, so as to overlap and engage the part 32 and enable it to be depressed against the action of the spring 34'. A notch 39, Figs. 8 and 9, is adapted to receive the end of the part 38 as the handle is moved laterally, the normal position of the parts being shownin Figs. 4 and 10. p I

Extending downwardly from beneath the part 38 is a pin 40, which is projected through a bore in the part 14 and is adapted to engage a notch 41 (also shown in Fig. 3) in the part 10 of the slidable carrier. The purpose of said pin and notch is to lock the actuatingframe to the carrier-frame at all times except when the former is being used to manipulate the curtain-slide. A stop 42, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, is formed upon the right-hand end of the carrier-slide for the purpose of limiting the movement of the actuating-slide as an aid in positioning the two with respect to each other to enable the pin 40 to register with the notch 41 when manipulating the device, as hereinafter described.

As before suggested, the device is intended to expose all or a predetermined, portion of a plate, and in order to illustrate the manner in which the latter result is accomplished I have shown within the exposure-opening 2 the usual removable kit 43, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the rectangular opening in which is indi-. cated in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The operation of said device is as follows: Assuming the slidable and actuating carriers to be in the respective positions shown in Figs. 1,4, and 5, the plate-holder, with its curtain-slide closed, is pushed into the slideway in the carrier until its outer end passes the rabbet 12, when it is pressed against the part7 by the action of the spring 19, the perforation 20 in which is engaged by the pin 21. The notch 26 in the bar 25, Figs. 1, 2, and

3, being of lesser depth than that of notches 27, 28, and 29, the part 32 is thereby sufficientlydepressed to cause the pin 40 to remain in engagement with the notch 41, thereby locking the actuating-frame to the carrierframe and preventing the displacement of the latter when the plate-holder is inserted against the yielding resistance of the spring 19. The plate-holder being thus secured in position, the handle 18 is grasped by the operator, who thereupon depresses the thumb-piece 35. This action causes the part 38 to depress the part 32 against the action of the spring 34, thus disengaging the detent 33 from the notch 26, while the pin 40 remains in engagement with the notch 41. The carrier and actuating frames being thus locked together, the movement of the handle to the left carries withit both of said frames, thereby removing the groundglass frame from the exposing-aperture and substituting the plate-holder therefor,with the curtain-slide still closed. Assuming that the left-hand half of the plate is to be exposed, the operator releases the pressure upon the thumbpiece, when the spring 34 causes the detent 33 to enter the notch 27, (see Figs. 2 and 6,)the depth of which notch is sufficient to permit the part 32 to rise and carry with it the part 38 to such a height as to enable the pin 40 to pass out of the notch 41, thereby unlocking the. actuating-slide from the carrier-slide.

The carrier-slide being locked in a stationary position and the actuating-slide being free, a continuation of the movement of the handle causes the curtain-slide, which is locked to the actuating-frame by the spring 19, to be withdrawn from in front of the exposure-o 'iening, as shown in Fig. thereby exposing one half of the plate. A reverse movement of the handle is then made, which first acts to close the curtain-slide, when by depressing the thumb-piece the detent 33 is withdrawn from the notch 27, while at the same time the detent 40 is caused to again enter the notch 41 and lock the actuating-frame to the carrierframe. The stop 42, Fig. 2, serves to position the two frames with respect to each other so as to insure proper registration of the locking parts. A continuation of the same movement to the right serves to replace the ground-glass frame in front of the exposure-aperture, when the operation is repeated in the same way to expose the other half of the plate, except that the thumb-piece is depressed until the notch 29 is reached. 1

Should it be desirable to expose the entire plate, the kit 43 should be removed and the detent 33 caused to enter the notch 28. In all other respectsthe operations are the same.

A stop 44 upon the plate 25 serves to limit the movement to the left of the carrier-frame, while stops 45, one of which is shown in Fig. 4:, are provided to limit the corresponding movement of the actuating-frame.

Rollers 46 46, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, are located in grooves 47, preferably formed in the parts 6 and 7, respectively, of the carrier. Said rollers may be made wholly from or covered with felt, cloth, or other yielding material and are journaled at the ends in suitable bearings and adapted to press against the backboard with a yielding pressure, so as to exclude the passage of light between the two. It is obviously immaterial whether the grooves 47 are formed in the carrier-frame or backboard so long as the rollers are located upon the opposite sides of the exposure-opening when the plate-holder is in an exposing position.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. A plate-holder attachment for cameras, comprising an apertured backboard, an apertured carrier for the reception of a groundglass frame and plate-holder, said carrier being movably mounted upon said backboard, means for detachably locking said carrier to said backboard, slidable means mounted upon said carrier for independently actuating the carrier and plate-holder curtain-slide, and means for detachably locking said actuating means to the carrier at all times except when theplate-holder is in an exposing position, whereby said carrier may, by a single continuous movement, be placed in an exposing position and the curtain-slide withdrawn,

while, as a result of a continuous reverse movement said slide may be closed and the carrier returned to its normal position.

2. A plate-holder attachment for cameras, comprising a backboard having an exposingaperture, a laterally-movable carrier-frame for receiving and carrying the ground glass and plate-holder, a laterally-movable actuating-frame, slidably supported in said movable carrier-frame, means for detachablyconnecting said actuating-frame to the curtain-slide at the back of the plate-holder and means for automatically locking said carrier and actuating-frame together whereby they may move as one at all times except when the plate-holder is in an exposing position.

3. A plate-holder attachment for cameras, comprising a backboard having an exposingaperture, a laterally-movable carrier-frame for the reception of the ground-glass frame and plate-holder, a laterally-movable actuatingframe movably mounted in a guideway upon said carrier-frame, means for detachably locking said carrier-frame to said backboard, means for detachably locking said actuatingframe to the curtain-slide of the plate-holder,

means for detachabl y locking the same to said carrier-frame, and means for unlocking said actuating-frame from said carrier-frame when said plate-holder is in an exposing position.

4:. A plate-holder attachment for cameras for making more than one exposure upon a given plate, comprising a backboard having an exposing-aperture, a laterally-movable carrier for carrying the ground glass and plateholder, a laterally-movable actuating-frame movably mounted upon said carrier, means for detachably locking said carrier in a plurality of different stationary positions with respect to the backboard, means for detachably looking said actuating-frame to the curtain-slide of the plate-holder and means for detachably locking the same to said carrier at alltimes except when the plate-holder is in one or another of the different exposing positions.

5. A plate-holder attachment for cameras in which is combined a backboard, a laterallymovable carrier frame for carrying the ground-glass frame and plate-holder respectively and, a laterally movable actuatingframe. said carrier being slidably mounted upon the backboard, said actuating-frame slidably mounted upon said carrier-frame, means for automatically locking the carrierframe in non-exposing and exposing positions respectively, means for locking said actuatingframe to the plate-holder curtain-slide and means for also looking the same to said carrierframe when the latter is in a non-exposing position.

6. A camera attachment of the class described in which is combined with the apertured camera-backboard, a horizontally-movable carrier mounted upon said backboard, for carrying a ground glass and plate-holder respectively, an actuating frame movably mounted upon and located back of said carrier in non-exposing and exposing positions respectively with reference to said backboard, means for detachably locking said actuatingframe to said carrier when the latter is in a non-exposing position, said first-named locking means being controlled by the second, and

means for detachably connecting said actuating-frame with the curtain-slide of the plateholder at the rear of the latter.

7. In a plate-holder attachment for cameras, a plate-holder and ground-glass carrier movably positioned and detachabl y locked with the ground glass opposite the exposure-aperture, an actuating-frame movably attached to said carrier, said frame being normally in position to operatively engage the curtain-slide of the plate-holder at the back of the latter, means for locking said carrier in a plurality of predetermined positions, means for locking said actuating-frame to said carrier, and means upon said actuating-frame for manipulating both of said locking means.

8. In a camera attachment of the class described, the combination of a plate-holder carrier-frame movably mounted upon the camera backboard, a spring catch for locking the same in any oneof a plurality of predetermined positions, an actuating-frame movably mounted upon said carrier, means for detachably locking the same to said carrier and a springcatch upon said actuating-frame for automatically and detachably engaging an element upon the curtain-slide of the plate-holder at the back of the latter.

9. The combination with an apertured camera-back having a slideway in the rear, of a ground-glass and plate-holder carrier fitted within said slideway, means for detachably locking said carrier in different stationary positions,. a plate-holder, a curtain-slide therein, an actuating-frame slidably mounted upon the back of said carrier, a catch mechanism thereon for engaging said curtain-slide, a catch mechanism for automatically locking said actuating-frame to said carrier when the latter is in a normal position and means for automatically and simultaneously locking said carrier in a predetermined secondary position and for unlocking said actuating-frame from said carrier to enable said frame to continue itsmovementand cause the withdrawal of the curtain-slide.

10. The combination with an apertured camera-back having a slideway in the rear, of a ground-glass and plate-holder carrier fitted within said slideway, means for detachably locking said carrier in different stationary positions, a plate-holder, a curtain-slide, an actuating-frame slidably mounted upon the back of said carrier, means thereon for engaging said curtain-slide to move the same, means for locking said actuating-frame to said carrier when the latter is in a non-exposing position, means for automatically releasing said lastnamed locking mechanism when the carrier is in an exposing position and means for simultaneously unlocking said carrier from its exposing position and again locking the actuating-frame thereto when the curtain-slide is closed.

11. The combination with a camera-back of two movable frames, one being detachably locked to the camera-back, to hold a ground glass and a plate-holder, and the other detachably locked to the former and also to the plate-holder slide.

12. The combination with a camera-back of a laterally-movable carrier-frame for supporting' and carrying the ground-glass frame and plate-holder and a laterally-movable actuating-frame, said carrier-frame being detachably locked to said back and said actuatingfraine detachably locked to said carrier-frame, whereby the two may be moved in unison or separately at the will of the operator.

13. The combination with a camera-back of a plate-holder carrier-frame slidably mounted upon said back for carrying the ground-glass frame and plate-holder, and a movable actuating-frame slidably mounted upon said carrier-frame, said carrier-frame being detachably locked to said back and said actuatingframe detachably locked to said carrier-frame with means for simultaneously actuating both of said locking mechanisms.

14:. In a device of the class described, the combination with an apertured camera-back of a sliding carrier and light-excluding rollers of a yielding material inserted between the two to stand upon opposite sides of the aperture when the carrier is in position to expose the plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses,this 2 1th day of December, 1903.

J AY ALBERT SMITH.

Witnesses:

D. H. FLETCHER, CARRIE E. JORDAN. 

